In developing countries and poorer areas of some more developed countries, it is not uncommon for local wildlife to be illegally hunted as sources of food. For example, in some areas of Africa, bushmeat is the main source of protein for many of the isolated and disadvantaged inhabitants, leading to unregulated killing of wild populations of animals, in some cases leading to local extinction of endangered primates including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and monkeys, as well as elephants, large and small cats, and many types of antelopes.
Fish is generally considered to be a healthy, high quality source of protein, however, in recent years warnings have been issued about the potentials for poisoning due to accumulation of heavy metals and other toxins in wild-caught and, in some cases, farmed fish, where the farming occurs in natural bodies of water, with the fish confined within large cages. Large scale fish farming is increasingly being viewed as inhumane and environmentally unfriendly with an increased potential for spreading diseases among the crowded farmed fish that could infect wild populations. Where the fish are farmed in isolated ponds or tanks, treatment of nutrient-rich water can be costly. Mishandling of this water can result in contamination of nearby natural bodies and spread of disease among wild populations.
With the increased focus on the use of local food sources to reduce reliance on long distance transportation and to provide accessible sources of fresh foods, it is an attractive alternative to have the ability to raise fish in a small community or backyard aquaculture system.
Hydroponic gardening is well known for providing high quality fruits and vegetables, but such systems tend to be relatively expensive and generally not suitable for small community or backyard installation. The maintenance of such systems can require skilled labor, costly fertilizers and growing media. As a result, hydroponics systems are typically found only in more affluent communities where significant resources are available. As a result, the benefits of hydroponic techniques are not available to disadvantaged populations that have the greatest need for quality food sources.
Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (soil-less plant culture). In aquaponics, the nutrient-rich water that results from raising fish provides a source of natural fertilizer for the growing plants. As the plants consume the nutrients, they help to purify the water that the fish live in. A natural microbial process keeps both the fish and plants healthy. This creates a sustainable ecosystem where both plants and fish can thrive. Aquaponics can be the answer to a fish farmer's problem of disposing of nutrient rich water and a hydroponic grower's need for nutrient rich water. In aquaponics, the fish waste provides a food source for the growing plants and the plants provide a natural filter for the fish. This creates a mini ecosystem where both plants and fish can thrive.
Although the practices of fish farming and soil-less plant culture have been traced to ancient times, the combination of the two is relatively new. Research in aquaponics began in the 1970's and continues today.
Aquaponics systems that are currently commercially available tend to be bulky, with a fairly large footprint that consumes significant laboratory, greenhouse or warehouse space, or at least requires a large back yard for home system. Such systems are industrial in appearance and operation and would be neither practical nor appealing for installation within a customer-service business, such as a restaurant or market, in a home, or in a small yard. They are also not appropriate for use in classrooms, where aquaponics systems can provide hands-on demonstrations for teaching children everything from basic agriculture principles, e.g., seed-to-table, to biological phenomena such as the nitrogen cycle.
The need exists for a simple, sustainable means for providing high quality protein and other food sources that can be set-up and maintained in homes, businesses or classrooms in a relatively small area. The present invention is directed to this need.